The Science behind Dry Ice
Unlike the ice in our ice cube trays, however, dry ice does not melt. Let’s look at the science behind dry ice.
Dry ice has many uses, but most people don’t understand its chemical makeup.
Dry ice allows you to transport products that need to remain in cold conditions, or you may sometimes see small quantities of dry ice used to create special effects like fake fog. Unlike the ice in our ice cube trays, however, dry ice does not melt. Let’s look at the science behind dry ice.
The Science behind Dry Ice
Dry Ice Doesn’t Melt
If you take a cooler to a beach, you will eventually be left with a puddle inside the cooler because the ice will start to melt. With dry ice, however, you won’t have to deal with a liquid leftover. When it starts to warm, dry ice will transform from a solid into a gas. The process is called sublimation, and dry ice is preferred when shipping certain items to avoid the leaks and pools of water caused by regular ice. So the next time you want to ship crab cakes to your friends on the West Coast, look into your dry ice options to ensure freshness.
Dry Ice Physics
We now know that you can’t create dry ice by putting water into a tray and freezing it, so how exactly does dry ice form? Dry ice is carbon dioxide that is frozen, and it turns into a carbon dioxide gas instead of a liquid as it breaks down. A block of dry ice has a surface temperature of -109.3 degrees, and that is why it is relied on heavily to keep products cold.
Dry Ice Safety
The extensive chill dry ice omits is important to keep in mind in terms of safety. If you touch it with your bare skin, you could quickly have frostbite. Also breathing in too much of the carbon dioxide is dangerous for your health. When touching and transporting dry ice, make sure you are in a ventilated area. Don’t touch it with your bare hands.
Dry Ice Corp: A Dry Ice Supplier in the Northeastern U.S.
Dry Ice Corp is the largest regional supplier of dry ice products and customized delivery services in the Northeastern United States, from Virginia all the way up to Maine. And because our dry ice is supplied by manufacturing plants located right here in the Northeast, we can guarantee freshness. Other suppliers, meanwhile, get their dry ice from manufacturing plants as much as 1,000 miles away, which has a direct impact on product freshness.
Dry Ice Corp provides the highest levels of service and freshest dry ice products.
Contact Dry Ice Corp for a FREE Quote!
If you have any questions about the science behind Dry Ice, please contact Dry Ice Corp by calling 201.767.3200. You can also connect with Dry Ice Corp on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and Pinterest.
